AMD Athlon AD785ZWCGHBOX 2-core Socket AM2+
The 2.8GHz dual-core Athlon X2 7850 includes a boxed cooler and fits legacy Socket AM2+ boards, making it a direct drop-in upgrade for aging systems. Its 95W TDP and basic 2MB L3 cache reflect its era, but the bundled cooler simplifies installation for basic desktop revival. This processor is best for users maintaining vintage PCs for light office tasks or retro computing, not modern workloads.
Sin precio actual de tiendas
Resumen
The 30-Second Version
A 2009 dual-core chip that still costs real money in 2025. Unless you're rescuing a vintage AM2+ build, save your cash for literally anything else.
Pros & Cons
Ventajas
- Dirt cheap if you find it at the right price 75th
- Boxed cooler included, so no extra purchase needed
- Drops into old AM2+ boards without a BIOS update
- 5-star reviews from the two people still using one
Desventajas
- 95W TDP for dual-core performance is absurd
- Single-thread score in the bottom 15% of all CPUs
- Socket AM2+ is a dead platform with zero upgrade path
- Pricing is all over the map, from $83 USD to $219 CAD
Opinión de los propietarios
The Word on the Street
Cómo cambió la opinión de los propietarios con el tiempo
ExclusivaSegún cuándo escribieron realmente sus opiniones los clientes, para ver si los elogios iniciales se mantuvieron.
Basado en 2 opiniones de clientes con fecha, agrupadas por trimestre natural. El análisis por periodo está en inglés.
Las pruebas
Performance
The PassMark scores tell the whole story. 1439 multi-thread and 749 single-thread put this chip in the bottom quarter of everything we track. That single-thread score lands at the 15th percentile, which means even basic web browsing will feel sluggish compared to any modern budget chip. The 95W TDP is the real kicker though. You're burning nearly 100 watts for performance that a 15W laptop chip from five years ago would embarrass. The boxed cooler is a nice touch, but it's cooling a chip that belongs in a museum.
Specifications
Full Specifications
Processor
| Brand | AMD |
| Series | Athlon |
| Model | X2 |
| Class | desktop |
Cores & Clocks
| Cores | 2 |
| Threads | 2 |
| Base Clock | 2800 |
Cache
| L2 Cache | 2 |
| L3 Cache | 2 MB |
Performance
| PassMark Multi | 1439 |
| PassMark Single | 749 |
Platform & Power
| Socket | Socket AM2+ |
| TDP | 95 |
vs Competition
Stacked against anything modern, this chip gets flattened. The Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF is in a completely different universe, and even the ancient Xeon E5-2637 V2 offers more threads and better efficiency for similar money on the used market. The be quiet! Ryzen 3 Dark Rock Pro 5 isn't even a CPU, it's a cooler, which tells you how thin the competition is at this tier. If you need cheap, a used Xeon or an old Ryzen 3 will give you way more life for your dollar.
| Spec | AMD Athlon AD785ZWCGHBOX | Intel Core Ultra 9 285K | SMC EPYC 9555P | HP Xeon 6526Y | CG CHIPS GATE EPYC 6GK7443-1EX30-0XE0 1PC New 6GK7443-1EX30-0XE0 Communications Processor | MICRO CENTER 9950X3DMAGX870ETMKWF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cores | 2 | 24 | 64 | 16 | 24 | - |
| Threads | 2 | 24 | 128 | 32 | 48 | - |
| Boost Clock Mhz | - | 5700 | 4400 | 3900 | 4000 | - |
| L3 Cache Mb | 2 | 36 | 256 | 37 | 128 | - |
| Tdp W | 95 | 125 | 360 | 195 | 200 | - |
| Socket | Socket AM2+ | LGA 1851 | AMD Socket SP5 | LGA 4677 | AMD Socket SP3 | - |
| Integrated Graphics | - | Intel Graphics | - | No | - | - |
| Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare |
| Producto | AI | Feature | Platform | Efficiency | Multi Thread | Valoración social | Affordability | Single Thread |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AMD Athlon AD785ZWCGHBOX | 18.3 | 42.3 | 17.4 | 23.9 | 22.2 | 54.7 | 75.2 | 14.7 |
| Intel Core Ultra 9 285K Compare | 96.2 | 99.9 | 96 | 97.2 | 96.4 | 90.3 | 18.2 | 99.9 |
| SMC EPYC 9555P Compare | 99.3 | 77.2 | 96.8 | 89.6 | 99.4 | 0 | 0.4 | 85.9 |
| HP Xeon 6526Y Compare | 92.1 | 77.2 | 90.8 | 79.3 | 89.9 | 0 | 2.7 | 80.5 |
| CG CHIPS GATE EPYC 6GK7443-1EX30-0XE0 1PC New 6GK7443-1EX30-0XE0 Communications Processor Compare | 94.8 | 77.2 | 84.5 | 85.1 | 93.9 | 36.4 | 5.1 | 80.4 |
| MICRO CENTER 9950X3DMAGX870ETMKWF Compare | 85.8 | 20.6 | 17.4 | 66.5 | 97.1 | 0 | 6.3 | 98.4 |
Precio
Value & Pricing
At $83 USD this is a terrible deal. At the $40 the original reviewer suggested back in 2012, it's still a tough sell in 2025. You're paying for compatibility, not performance. If your AM2+ board is the only thing keeping this chip relevant, you're better off putting that money toward a used office PC that'll run circles around it.
Leer más
Overview
The AMD Athlon X2 7850 is a fossil from 2009 that somehow still has a pulse on Amazon. It's a dual-core AM2+ chip running at 2.8GHz with a 95W TDP, which was mid-range when Obama was in his first term. Today it's a nostalgia piece or a desperate fix for an ancient motherboard, nothing more. The one thing to know: this is not a performance upgrade, it's a compatibility patch for a dying platform.
Common Questions
Q: Will this work in my AM2+ motherboard?
Yes, that's the whole point. It's a drop-in for Socket AM2+ boards, but check your board's CPU support list first. Some older boards need a BIOS update to recognize the 7850.
Q: Can I game on this?
Not really. The single-thread score is in the bottom 15% of all CPUs we track. You might run games from 2010 or older, but anything modern will choke. This is a web browsing and office work chip at best.
Q: Is the included cooler any good?
It's a stock AMD cooler from 2009. It'll keep the chip from melting, but it's loud and not great. For a 95W TDP chip, it does the bare minimum. Don't expect quiet operation.
Who Should Skip This
If you're looking for a cheap upgrade to make your PC faster, this isn't it. Go buy a used Ryzen 3 or even an old Intel i5 system instead. You'll spend similar money and get dramatically better performance. This chip is only for people nursing a specific AM2+ board that can't be replaced.
Verdict
Don't buy this unless you have a specific AM2+ motherboard that needs a drop-in replacement and you've exhausted every other option. Even then, you should seriously consider whether that motherboard is worth saving. The Athlon X2 7850 was fine in 2009. It's not fine now.
Usage Scores
- General22.2
- AI/LLM16
- Budget41.8
- Gaming18.8
- Server16.5
- Efficiency21.7
- Productivity21.9
